Gary Hoey
Gary Hoey (born August 23, 1960 in Lowell, Massachusetts) is a rock musician. He is primarily known for his guitar playing, but can play a wide variety of instruments, and is an accomplished vocalist. Early life At fourteen, Hoey often lingered outside Boston's renowned Berklee College of Music, making friends and offering to pay for lessons. To devote his time to music, he dropped out of high school and began playing Boston's local clubs and teaching guitar to other young players. He auditioned for Ozzy Osbourne in 1988, when Osbourne was searching for a replacement for Jake E. Lee. Although the job went to Zakk Wylde, Hoey earned Osbourne's respect with his guitar playing ability and professional manner. Early career Hoey recorded his first solo instrumental album, Get A Grip in 1989. It was released only in Germany. In 1990 Hoey teamed with singer Joel Ellis, bassist Rex Tennyson, and drummer Frankie Banali to form Heavy Bones. The band released their debut album in 1992, but due to poor sales of the album and inter-band friction, broke up shortly afterwards. In 1993, Hoey recorded the successful Animal Instinct]] album, which included a cover of the Focus hit "Hocus Pocus". Not only did the hit rocket into the Billboard Top 5, outpacing all other singles as the most frequently played rock song of the year, but the album went on to reach classic rock notoriety. The successful Endless Summer II soundtrack soon followed. He went on to record around twelve instrumental albums, all electric guitar oriented. His 1996 release, Bug Alley, displayed added vocal ability that he has expanded on more recent albums. He continues to tour extensively. Later career Hoey's new album, Utopia, will be released in the summer of 2010. He has recorded 16 albums and had five top-20 Billboard hits, and has been called one of the top 100 guitarists of all time As writer, producer, and guitar player, Hoey's clients have included Disney, ESPN, and No Fear, and he has performed the National Anthem for the New England Patriots, San Diego Padres, and the Boston Red Sox. Hoey has been featured on VH1 Classic’s documentary, Aftermath, and most recently guest starred alongside Michael Anthony, Ace Frehley, and Dave Mason, among others, at the 2010 Rock N Roll Fantasy Camp in Los Angeles, which debuts as a special series on VH1 Classic beginning this spring. His popular Ho! Ho! Hoey series of Christmas-themed LPs and on-air station visits during the holiday season have become an annual staple at hundreds of radio stations nationwide. Moreover, his live annual interpretation, "Ho! Ho! Hoey’s Rockin’ Holiday Show," gains new fans each year. Hallmark’s musical greeting cards feature two of Gary’s Ho! Ho! Hoey classics. In addition to touring as a headline act, Hoey has toured and traded licks with Brian May of Queen, Ted Nugent, Foreigner, Joe Satriani, The Doobie Brothers, Kenny Wayne Shepard, Eric Johnson, Steve Vai, Peter Frampton, Rick Derringer, and Deep Purple. Hoey will support Jeff Beck on the US leg of his Spring 2010 tour. Discography See main article Discography. Interviews * HippoPress interview